Midnight

Norma (Vera Farmiga) rushes to see Sheriff Romero (Nestor Carbonell) after Abernathy holds her at gunpoint and demands that she meet him at midnight with the money Shelby owed him.

Romero takes in her story, then tells her that he'll take care of it. Norma isn't happy with that brief response, but Romero tells her to trust him, and she finds herself without any other options.

Norman (Freddie Highmore) finds Emma (Olivia Cooke) staring dejectedly at a banner for the upcoming Winter Formal. Norman jokes that she looks a little pathetic, but ultimately invites her to the dance. She plays it off, but it's clear she's excited to go with him.

Norman surprises Miss Watson (Keegan Connor Tracy) in her classroom as she finishes an intense argument on the phone.

Norman tells Miss Watson that he's decided not to publish his story after all. She tells him that she understands, and asks him not to tell anyone about what he overheard.

"I guess this means we have a secret now, huh?" Miss Watson tells Norman as she embraces him. Norman can't help but turn his head to smell her hair.

Miss Watson exits leaving Norman feeling lost and confused.

Dylan (Max Thieriot) gives Norma her first shooting lesson after she begs him to get her a gun. Norma's not the most attentive student, but she eventually agrees to listen to her eldest son and manages to hit the target.

Dylan is impressed, but Norma's excitement evaporates as she tells him how scared she is of Abernathy. He reassures her, telling her that Romero is "the man" in White Pine Bay, and she should trust him. They refocus...

...and get back to target practice.

As Norman waits for Emma to pick him up for the dance, Norma reveals a terrible secret from her childhood. She immediately regrets telling him, but Norman understands. They embrace, and she tells him she just wanted someone to know the truth about her, just in case.

Norman and Emma arrive at the Winter Formal, dressed in their fanciest duds. Even Emma's oxygen tank got a makeover.

Emma and Norman are overwhelmed at first. They reveal to each other that neither of them have ever been to a dance before. Norman suggests that they could always leave, but Emma tells him, "No, we're doing this."

The perennial slow dance favorite, "Lady in Red" plays as Emma and Norman dance, but she can't help but feel that he's a little distracted.

Norman can't keep his eyes off of Bradley, who is busy dancing with her boyfriend, Richard. He's so enamored, he doesn't seem to notice that he's staring, but Emma notices...

...and so does Richard (Richard Harmon).

Emma calls Norman out for staring at Bradley, then yells at herself for thinking that Norman would see her all dressed up and realize that he has feelings for her. She decides to leave, and makes it clear that Norman will have to find his own way home.

Richard approaches Norman and asks him to step outside for a moment.

They walk outside and Richard tells Norman to leave Bradley alone. Norman argues that he hasn't even spoken to her, but Richard is upset. He accuses Norman of taking advantage of Bradley when she was in an emotional place, but when Norman tries to make his case...

...Richard knocks Norman to the ground with a surprise haymaker.

Richard tells Norman to stay away from Bradley, as if he hadn't already made his point abundantly clear, then heads back into the dance.

Norman sits in the rain, face bloodied and utterly alone.

Meanwhile, Norma is down at the pier, waiting to meet with Abernathy. She hides when she hears a car approaching, and is surprised to see Sheriff Romero get out and walk her way.

Norma hides as Romero confronts Abernathy. He asks Romero, "What happened to the cute-but-nutty lady who runs the motel?" Romero tells him that Norma's no longer involved.

Romero sets down the bag of money, and tells Abernathy that he's willing to work out a deal with him to keep the sex slave business up and running.

Norma can't believe what she's hearing. She readies her gun to attempt to shoot both Romero and Abernathy.

Before she can act, Abernathy reaches for his money, and Romero puts four bullets into him. The sheriff stands back and watches as Abernathy's body hits the bay. He tells Norma she can stop hiding, and reiterates that when he says to trust him, she should trust him.

Norman walks back to the motel in the rain. Miss Watson pulls up next to him and offers him a ride. When she sees his bloody face, she offers to take him back to her place to clean him up. Norman agrees, and they drive off into the night.